The paper sets out to analyse the quality education curriculum innovations that have been implemented in Kenya since independence in 1963. The purpose of the analysis is to assess…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper sets out to analyse the quality education curriculum innovations that have been implemented in Kenya since independence in 1963. The purpose of the analysis is to assess the success and or failure of the innovations and determine the lessons learned that can inform future design and implementation of curriculum innovations designed to improve the quality of education.
Design/methodology/approach
This was a desk review of curriculum policy documents and related research literature. The documents analysed included various education commission reports produced by education commissions, committees and task forces appointed to inquire into education and make recommendations to government; primary school syllabuses and related research literature.
Findings
The review has revealed that the curriculum innovations recommended and implemented in Kenya have targeted the attainment of the goals of individual and national economic development; national identity and unity; socio-cultural, moral and ethical development; cognitive development and globalization; and psycho-social skills development. Many of the innovations have not been implemented effectively. Impediments to effective implementation have included hasty implementation, limited in-service training for teachers, inadequate ongoing professional support for teachers, and inadequate resources.
Research limitations/implications
Achieving effective curriculum innovation is not easy. It requires greater participation in curriculum decision making, patience in training those in various levels of the curriculum implementation process and enormous resources.
Originality/value
In adopting content analysis as a methodology, the paper constitutes a unique contribution to the study of curriculum innovation in Kenya.
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Toby Greany and Joanne Waterhouse
The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyse the development of school autonomy, school leadership and curriculum innovation in England over the past 40 years. It provides…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyse the development of school autonomy, school leadership and curriculum innovation in England over the past 40 years. It provides a baseline picture for the wider international study on school autonomy and curriculum innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
An initial literature review was undertaken, including policy document analysis. Interviews and observations were undertaken with participants on a pilot professional programme for school leaders seeking to develop their school curriculum.
Findings
While all schools in England have needed to adapt their curricula to reflect the new National Curriculum introduced from 2014, relatively few schools appear to have used this opportunity to design genuinely innovative curricula that respond to the changing needs of learners in the twenty-first century. This includes the academies and free schools – currently around one in four schools – which are not legally required to follow the National Curriculum. The authors posit that leadership agency by principals and their professional teams is more important than policy/legal freedoms for securing curriculum innovation. Such agency appears to depend on the capacity and confidence of leaders to shape an alternative and innovative curriculum in the face of structural constraints, in particular England’s sharp accountability system, effectively making these leaders “rebels against the system”.
Research limitations/implications
The empirical findings are preliminary and based on a small convenience sample.
Originality/value
Given England’s position as a relatively extreme example of high-autonomy-high-accountability quasi-market school reforms this paper provides valuable insights on school autonomy and curriculum innovation that can inform policy and practice more widely.
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Edward Simpson, David Bradley and Juliette O’Keeffe
Advancements and innovation in engineering design are based on learning from previous failures but students are encouraged to “succeed” first time and hence can avoid learning…
Abstract
Purpose
Advancements and innovation in engineering design are based on learning from previous failures but students are encouraged to “succeed” first time and hence can avoid learning from failure in practice. The purpose of this paper is to design and evaluate a curriculum to help engineering design students to learn from failure.
Design/methodology/approach
A new curriculum design provided a case study for evaluating the effects of incorporating learning from failure within a civil engineering course. An analysis of the changes in course output was undertaken in relation to graduate destination data covering 2006 to 2016 and student satisfaction from 2012 to 2017 and a number of challenges and solutions for curriculum designers were identified.
Findings
The design and delivery of an innovative curriculum, within typical constraints, can provide opportunities for students to develop resilience to failure as an integral part of their learning in order to think creatively and develop novel engineering solutions. The key issues identified were: the selection of appropriate teaching methods, creating an environment for exploratory learning, group and team assessments with competitive elements where practicable and providing students with many different pedagogical approaches to produce a quality learning experience.
Originality/value
This case study demonstrates how to design and implement an innovative curriculum that can produce positive benefits of learning from failure. This model can be applied to other disciplines such as building surveying and construction management. This approach underpins the development of skills necessary in the educational experience to develop as a professional building pathologist.
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This study aims to assess the spread of environmental literacy graduation requirements at public universities in the USA, and to highlight factors that mediate the adoption of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to assess the spread of environmental literacy graduation requirements at public universities in the USA, and to highlight factors that mediate the adoption of this curriculum innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
The author analyzed the undergraduate general education curriculum requirements at all 549 public BA-granting higher education institutions in the USA between 2020 and 2022.
Findings
The study found that only 27 US public universities out of 540 have an environmental literacy graduation requirement, which represents 5% of universities and is substantially lower than previous estimates.
Originality/value
First, this study provides a more complete, more reliable and more current assessment of the graduation requirement’s presence at US tertiary institutions, and shows the number of universities that have implemented this innovation is lower than was estimated a decade ago. Second, it draws from the scholarship on the infusion of sustainability into the university curriculum to provide a comprehensive discussion of factors that mediate the pursuit and implementation of the graduation requirement. As well, it identifies factors that played a key role in one pertinent case.
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Virginia Bodolica and Martin Spraggon
One of the most discernible initiatives of entrepreneurial universities constitutes the launch of innovation centers, where students and alumni can incubate their business ideas…
Abstract
Purpose
One of the most discernible initiatives of entrepreneurial universities constitutes the launch of innovation centers, where students and alumni can incubate their business ideas and collaborate on innovative projects with the purpose of converting them into start-up ventures. While incubators and accelerators are quintessential in Western academic contexts, educational institutions in emerging economies are lagging behind in the preparation of future-ready business leaders via the establishment of hubs that stimulate entrepreneurial intention and diffusion of innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
In this conceptual paper, the authors seek to contribute to the development of entrepreneurial education ecosystems in less advanced regions of the world through the activation of university-based centers of innovation. The authors rely on a general review of the specialized literature to identify best practice insights pertaining to curriculum design and draw on the combined expertise of the authors’ research team in delivering entrepreneurship and innovation (under)graduate courses and executive education programs in emerging countries.
Findings
The authors conceptualize the mission, vision and curriculum of an innovation hub that can be adopted by any institution of higher education from transitional and emerging market settings to build powerful entrepreneurial mindsets in the future generation of innovative leaders. The proposed innovation hub curriculum incorporates a number of practically relevant and learning boosting activities, including the “So, You Think You Can Innovate?” competition, networking events and guest speakers and training seminars and workshops.
Originality/value
To keep up with changing industry dynamics and secure the relevance of their programs, institutions of higher education in emerging economies need to embrace entrepreneurial models of instruction. They ought to allocate temporal, physical and mental spaces and infrastructure to students to facilitate the generation of innovative concepts and encourage them toward commercialization.
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Awni Rawashdeh and Mohammed Idris
This study aims to investigate the collective influence of technological progress, industry dynamics and the regulatory landscape on curriculum relevance and examines how these…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the collective influence of technological progress, industry dynamics and the regulatory landscape on curriculum relevance and examines how these factors contribute to skill development within accounting education.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative research design was employed, utilizing an online survey distributed through a snowball sampling strategy. The study specifically targeted accounting lecturers, as they play a pivotal role in shaping and implementing accounting curricula. Their perspectives offer critical insights into how educational content is adjusted in response to technological progress, shifting industry expectations, and evolving regulatory requirements.
Findings
The results confirm that technological progress exerts a direct positive effect on curriculum relevance, which, in turn, significantly enhances skill development among accounting students. Additionally, industry dynamics and the regulatory landscape act as key external forces driving curricular adaptations, ensuring that students acquire both technical and soft skills required for modern accounting practice.
Originality/value
This study presents a holistic framework that captures the interplay between technological progress, industry dynamics and the regulatory landscape in shaping curriculum relevance and skill development. Unlike previous research that has examined these factors in isolation, this study offers an integrated perspective, providing practical insights for curriculum designers, policymakers and educators to enhance the future-readiness of accounting graduates in an increasingly technology-driven profession.
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Ralph E. McKinney, Ben Eng and Ricky J. Weible
This paper aims to present a case study on how the strong relationships with multiple stakeholder groups can benefit educational programs through the curriculum redesign process…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present a case study on how the strong relationships with multiple stakeholder groups can benefit educational programs through the curriculum redesign process by using the experience of Marshall University and Intuit.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper highlights how Marshall’s faculty used Intuit’s Design Thinking process to engage with stakeholders to innovate a curriculum that is sustainable and socially responsible and transfers workforce skills and concepts. This case describes how to: involve stakeholders to discover their pain points and desired outcomes, develop prototype curriculums from stakeholders’ feedback and test and iterate prototype curriculums on stakeholders until their expectations (e.g. quality, innovation and value) of the curriculum are exceeded.
Findings
Faculty applied Design Thinking to engage with stakeholders to infuse contemporary knowledge and skills that positively impact their workforce development and societal goals into the curriculum. This process promoted critical thinking and a “stakeholder-centered” orientation with various groups including AACSB and employers. These curriculum changes ultimately provide greater experiences to students while providing relevant skills of interest to employers and society.
Originality/value
Stakeholders are often consulted on educational programs; however, it is unusual for an industry stakeholder to provide their best innovative practices to assist colleges with the transformation of academic curriculums. Moreover, it is unusual for higher education institutions to fully embrace these industry processes and integrate these experiences within their collective culture. Finally, the detailing of this case allows for other colleges to apply these concepts to their curriculums.
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This paper seeks to propose the use of specific strategic management tools for identifying opportunities for gaining competitive advantage in the business core curricula offered…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to propose the use of specific strategic management tools for identifying opportunities for gaining competitive advantage in the business core curricula offered at colleges and universities.
Design/methodology/approach
A brief review of the literature on business core curriculum innovation and change is examined, and strategic management concepts are used to compare with a set of competitive peer institutions. The techniques employed in the analysis include a representative weighted competitive strength assessment and a strategic group map in an example case analysis.
Findings
The results show that in this particular sample competitive environment, a business core course program could gain a competitive lead over rivals by improving innovation and distinctiveness in the core program content and/or teaching methods.
Research limitations/implications
The concepts proposed in this paper are limited by the measures that are selected, the subjective level of importance weights assigned by the users to the measures, the possible overlap among some measures, and the use of a single case with five selected peer institutions.
Practical implications
There is potential usefulness of these strategic management analytical tools in the field of higher education by practitioners and researchers to examine the fundamental business core curricula in a systematic manner. The approach proposed could be used for other practical analyses of educational programs, organizational processes and services.
Social implications
Considering that higher education courses and degree programs are important to individuals, organizations, and society at large, this proposed adaption of business strategic management concepts by educators could have a positive impact by enabling colleges and universities to discover and implement more opportunities for distinctiveness and improvement.
Originality/value
While there are previous research journal articles describing the importance of making changes to business core curricula and programs in today's rapidly changing environment, this paper offers practical and methodical analytical tools that administrators, faculty members and committee leaders can use for informed decision making.
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This study seeks to trace the development of curriculum integration and related curricula designs in state schools in Aotearoa/New Zealand (NZ) during the “New Education” era…
Abstract
Purpose
This study seeks to trace the development of curriculum integration and related curricula designs in state schools in Aotearoa/New Zealand (NZ) during the “New Education” era (1920s‐1940s).
Design/methodology/approach
The mixed historical/theoretical analysis draws on primary and secondary data.
Findings
The paper concludes that largely forgotten designs for curriculum integration developed in the 1920s‐1940s in NZ are similar in intent to the student‐centred “integrative” model of curriculum integration and may usefully inform the contemporary discourse in NZ concerning best practice on middle schooling for young adolescents (approximately ten to 14 years old).
Research limitations/implications
The study provides an additional point of entry towards theorising and re‐evaluating the history of progressive education in NZ.
Originality/value
This study provides historical/theoretical context for recent interest in curriculum integration in NZ, particularly in relation to middle schooling and to student‐centred pedagogies.
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Many developing environments are characterised by uncertainties and research on how these uncertainties impact development in different industries is on-going. However, there is…
Abstract
Purpose
Many developing environments are characterised by uncertainties and research on how these uncertainties impact development in different industries is on-going. However, there is hardly any empirical examination of how this phenomenon impacts innovation adoption in the publishing industry, notwithstanding that the education industry largely depends on publishing. This study aims to interrogate this phenomenon with a view to describing clearly the factors that influence e-publishing innovation adoption in environments of uncertainty.
Design/methodology/approach
E-publishing data were collected from 79 websites whereas 109 firms filled out a questionnaire both online and offline. Four interviews were conducted and data were analysed using the SPSS to compute frequencies, percentages and correlates of digital publishing innovation adoption.
Findings
Book piracy and curriculum uncertainty were found to play greater influential roles in the adoption of e-publishing; and though they both correlated positively with e-publishing adoption, only book piracy has a significant predictive value in the adoption of e-publishing.
Originality/value
The results of this study shed light on the predictors of digital publishing adoption and should help interested publishers and scholars in environments of uncertainty to understand why efforts should be intensified to pursue copyright protection and enforcement.